It is generally well known to assemble components together by mechanical means such as tabs and slots. For example, a conventional automotive automatic transmission torque converter includes a turbine assembly that comprises an outer shell (or bowl, or housing) component having slots, an inner shroud component having slots, and a plurality of vane components (blade impellers) having tabs that fit into the slots of and between the shell and shroud components. Such mechanical means for assembling the vanes to the shell and shroud components results in leaks (e.g., of automatic transmission fluid) around the vanes, which reduces the efficiency of the torque converter, and which consequently diminishes (attenuates) the fuel efficiency of the automobile.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,180,043, 4,813,522 and 4,765,167 are incorporated by reference herein as representative of the state of the art in assembling components such as the aforementioned automatic transmission components together by mechanical means.
As used herein, the term "joining" includes processes involving heat and/or fusing, such as brazing, welding, bonding and soldering.
Brazing is a well known technique of joining components (e.g., two articles) to one another and generally involves melting a brazing material at temperatures of approximately 1000.degree. C. (one thousand degrees Celsius). The brazing material may be the same as or different in composition from than the material of the joined components. The use of such high temperatures can cause undesirable distortion, annealing, or the like of one or both of the components being joined (e.g., brazed) together.